Already a 'down-under' tanning sensation stocked in major Aussie chains, Skinny Tan was brought to national UK attention following a fantastically successful appearance on BBC TV show 'Dragons Den - with Kelly Hoppen and Piers Linney winning the fight to invest in this quality brand.

Clearly, all investors saw that Skinny Tan had a winning formal that would change the perception of fake tans - it's the first self-tanner that combines a natural tanning active with naturally derived skin smoothing actives to tan, contour and reduce the visible appearance of cellulite!

Since then it's been a whirlwind of TV appearances for co-founders Louise Ferguson and Kate Cotton - including Chatty Man, Loose Women and ITV Daybreak. Oh, and Vogue are fans too.

Kelly Hoppen has personally been the chief tester of their new spray tan formula and together they have all been working tirelessly with industry experts to perfect the latest addition to the Skinny Tan range to now offer salons and retailers a range of salon sprays and accessories plus the original range of Self Tanner creams.

So who’s behind the brand? Enter creators and 'mumpreneurs' Kate Cotton and Louise Ferguson who grew up in 1980s Essex, UK. Knowing the dreadful reputation self-tanners once had, they were determined to create a beautiful, easy to use tanner that would be indistinguishable from the real thing. Goes to show what you can achieve - they are now well on their way to becoming millionaires!

So, for all you budding beauty entrepreneurs - read on for more inspiration with co-founder Louise Ferguson!

Hi Louise, introduce yourself and tell us about the 'lighbulb' moment that led to the creation of Skinny Tan

I was born in bonnie Scotland but lived my formative years in Brentwood Essex (yes that's right home of TOWIE in fact I used to work behind the bar of what is now the Sugar Hut).

I came to Australia in 2000 on a 3 month trip and 14 years later and I am still Aussie. My daughter Indiana is the inspiration behind going into business for myself. In Australia the maternity leave is unpaid. I couldn't bare the thought of leaving Indi to go back to the work force but I needed an income so I wanted to try a business of my own.

Having a baby also brought with it mummy tummy and cellulite. I used to tan to look thinner and my bestie Kate was having great results with a caffeine based cellulite cream. We thought why don't we put the 2 together in one body treatment and hey presto Skinny Tan was born.

Before you set up Skinny Tan did you work in the beauty industry?

Yes I was a Brand Manager and copywriter for a number of successful Australian brands including Skin Doctors cosmeceutical range and Nude By Nature Mineral make-up.

How is Skinny Tan different from the many self-tan products currently on the market?

Skinny Tan is the first self-tanner that combines a new natural tanning active with naturally derived guarana a caffeine derivative that is known to help visibly reduce cellulite. We have had our tanner independently tested by a global research consumer trial.

Over 90% reported that Skinny Tan was gentle on the skin and less drying than other tanners. And a staggering 96% reported it smelt delicious too. We think this really makes us stand out from the harsh smelly chemical tans that most of us are used to.

How does Skinny Tan work - will it really make us look skinnier?!

Absolutely! Being tanned is generally slimming anyway but we have gone the extra mile by adding the skin smoothing Almond Oil and Guarana that has caffeine.

In the independent consumer trials on 50 women with cellulite 84% reported that Skinny Tan had indeed smoothed their skin and helped dissimulate cellulite. 86% reported a better-looking body with Skinny Tan and 70% agreed it did indeed make them look thinner!

Can guys use Skinny Tan too?

There is nothing worse than a guy who looks like he has an obvious fake orange glow. But then again if you have a gorgeous six-pack but look like Casper The Friendly Ghost it's not as sexy as having a tan.

Because we spent so long ensuring that Skinny Tan was a really natural colour indistinguishable from a real tan and more a medium than a dark tone we knew it would take the fear factor out of self-tanning for the guys.

That's why we released a full body tanner just for men - its called 'Abs Shader' because the shading effect of a tan along with the smoothing guarana really makes good abs look great!

Skinny Tan got an amazing reception on Dragons Den. What's the back-story that led to your appearance on the TV show?

It was really put in my path to be honest. We had experienced success in Australia and I had been getting over excited telling the team that my dream was to launch in the UK in Boots and make my family in the UK proud.

I was told it was easier said than done and that I would need a heap of money and publicity to make that happen - basically to hold my horses! Then that very night I was channel surfing and I saw Dragons Den for the very first time. I thought wow that's a great way to get publicity and money in one so I jumped out of bed and applied.

I forgot about it to be honest but then they rang me up and I started the lengthy audition and due diligence process. They rang and said we had got on the show and a week later we flew out and entered that famous elevator!

Post Dragons Den pitch - what’s happened with regards the development and marketing of Skinny Tan in the UK?

Dragons Den was a great showcase for us and within just minutes of the show airing our website had so many hits that it crashed. However it was keeping up the momentum that was important and lucky for us Kelly had put us in touch with her PR company Notion PR who has been absolutely brilliant at getting all our news out to the press.

We also teamed up with a superb media company UKAMS who have helped us with newspaper advertising so we were able to leverage quickly off our publicity with offers.

How do you unwind?

I like to hang out with my kids really and do stuff like ice-skating or little adventures. My kids are the only ones who don't give two hoots what Skinny Tan is so I can't end up getting into work mode if I am just with them. I also like watching terrible TV shows to zone out. My fave at the mo is the reality TV show 'Catfish' - its hilarious although I am not sure it's supposed to be.

I am a big fan of crime documentaries too I think I would like to be a detective or criminologist if I ever get the chance.

What's your fave holiday destination and why?

I love Thailand. Gorgeous people and weather and lots to see and do. You can rough it and have a real traveller experience but you can also go 5-star for an affordable price. The 5-star hotels in Thailand deserve 7 stars really - the food is the freshest and tastiest I have ever eaten anywhere!